van meter



a. F. VAN METER. AUTOMATIC'CONTRULLER FOR AIR BRAKE EMERGENCY VALVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19. 1918.

Patented May 13, 1919;

2 SHEETS-SHEET1- G. F. VAN METER.

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER FOR ME BRAKE EMERGENCY VALVES APPLICATION FILED 0CT.19;19\B.

1,33,?43. Patented May13, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER FOR AIR-BRAKE EMERGENCY-VALVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed October 19, 1918. Serial No. 258,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- GEORGE F. VAN METER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Controllers for Air-Brake Emergency-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel device for automatically controlling the air brake emergency valve installed on railway trains.

The prime object of the invention is to provide simple, durable, economical and effic-ient means that will effectually operate an emergency valve, and by so doing will automatically stop the train that is equipped with the air brake system, when thewheels of an engine, coal tender or car leave the track caused by an open switch, spreading of the railroad rails, a broken railroad rail, or for other reasons any part of the train should be derailed. This automatic controller will bring the train to a sudden stop before the parts of the train that have left the rail will be turned over or serve to cause the rest of the train being turned over or derailed, thereby causing injury and death to passengers and railroad employees, as well as creating much serious damage to railroad property.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic controlling device, connected to the emergency valve'on a railway train equip ed with the usual air brake system, which device is so connected tothe trucks of a car, tender, or locomotive, that when the wheels thereof are derailed a member of the device will immediately and automatically contact with the track rail thereby causing the device to open the emergency valve connected to the air brake system, apply the brakes and bring the train to a sudden stop.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing descriptionare attained by the construction, combination, location and arrangement of the parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in' the accompanying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the form, proportions and minor details of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad antag s of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, it will be seen that Figure 1, is side elevation partly in section, showing the novel controlling device embodying my invention as being connected to the trucks of a railway car. Fig. 2, isa side elevation of the device, showing parts of the mechanism by dotted lines inclosed within a casing carried by the trucks of a car, and

Fig. 3, is a view showing in detail the several parts of the device disconnected from each other and from the truck of the railway car.

Similar numerals ofreference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs.

In carrying out my invention the accompanying drawings of which illustrate the preferred construction, it will be understood that the parts of the device constituting my improved automatic controller are made of any suitable material, preferably of iron, and that there is to be four for each car and two for the locomotive of a railway train.

Having reference to Fig. 1, of the drawings it will be seen that the numeral 1, designates the frame of a railway car truck, 2 the floor portion of the car, 3, an emergency valve of any suitable construction which is normally closed and connected by a depending branchpipe 4, to the train air pipe 5, of'the usual and well known. air brake systems, and fixedly secured tothe frame 1, in any suitable manner, is a casing 6, into which is fitted within a vertical guide-way 7 formed therein, the upper portion 8 of a slidable plunger 9, provided with a reduced lower end portion 10, to which is fixedly secured by the bolts 11, a depending extension 12 carrying at its lower end a cylindrical member or roller 13 secured across said end portion by any suitable means, and projecting-beyond either side thereof, said member being adapted to contact with the top of the track railel l, in the manner hereinafter described. Over the upper portion of the said plunger and casing is fitted a head or cap 15, which is secured by a nut 16, carried at the upper end of the plunger. Projecting from one side of the casing 6, and integral therewith, is an extension 17, to the inner face to which is pivoted at 18, an S- shaped or obtuse angle lever 19, provided at the short vertical arm of bell-crank or right-angle lever 25, which latter is pivoted to'the said extension 17, by a pin 26, the longer horizontal arm of the lever 25 extending through a slot formed in the cover for the extension and pivotally' connected at its. outer end to the lower end'of an adjustable connecting rod, the upper'endof said rod being connected to an arm 27, secured to the emergency valve and adapted to suitably operate said valve, said connecting rod, consisting of two" rods, '28, 28", each being screw threaded at one end thereof and adapted to receive a turn-buckle 29, by which the length of rod is suitablyregulated and adjusted; 1

It will be readily perceived that the lowermost portion of the slot or recess in the plunger is formed with a gradual rounded surface 30, thereby permitting the roller 20, carried by the lever 19 to easily ride out'of the recess when the plunger is caused to slide upward by contact with the-track rail when the wheels of the truck are caused from any reason to be derailed, and by vthe'imovement of said roller outof the pathof, the plunger a rocking motion is imparted to the lever 19, thus causing the upper portion thereof to impart a forward movement to the link 23, and the vertical arm of the lever v 25, thereby forcing the horizontal arm'of cient distance to bring said'member immedi ately into contact with the rail, thereby "caus ing an upward sliding movement to the plunger which movement imparts motion to the other operating parts in the manner hereinbefore referred to, and automatically operates the emergency valve, which operation will release the air in the train'pipe 5,

and the brakes will be quickly applied in the well known-manner and make a sudden or emergency stop, and much loss of life and destruction of property may thereby be averted.

It will be readily obvious that my improved automatic controlling devicem'ay. be easily adjusted to operate in connection with any known construction of emergency valve without {materially changing, any of the parts of the device.

It will be perceived that the lever 19 pivoted within the casing is provided at each side of its pivoted center with a coiled spring 19 one end of each spring resting in "contact with said lever and the other end of the spring resting in contact with the casing, whereby the proper engagement of the roller end portion of the lever with the recessed portion of the plunger 9 is insured, andthe reduced end portion 10 of the plunger is provided with a vertical slot therethrough for suitably adjusting the depending extension 12 on said plunger, through the medium of the securing bolts 11, while said extension' 12 is provided with a horizontal slot l2 therethrough, through which slot is fitted the ad'justingbolts and nuts 12 for moving the contact roller or cylinder member 18 to the right or left as maybe desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is z 1. An automatic controller for air-brake emergency valves comprising the combination of a train-pipe, abran'ch pipe, an emergency valve'connected to said branch pipe, anarm connected to said valve, a car truck, a casing mounted on said'truck, a slidable plunger mounted within the casing provided with a recess portion and a cylindrical member secured to its lower end, a'rocking lever pivoted within the casing providedwith a roller at its lower end adaptedto be seated within said recessed portion, saidrocking lever imparting movement to an adjustable rod connected to the emergency valve for opening the said valve. i a

2. An automatic controller for air-brak emergency valves comprising, in combination with the truck of a car, a fluid-pressure supply pipe, an-emergency valve connected to said pipe, a casing mounted upon the truck, a slidable plunger mounted in guideways within the casing having-a reduced lower end portion carrying a depending por tion secured to said reduced portion carrying to s'ai'd pipe, a casing mounted upon the truck, a slidable plunger mounted within the casing provided with a recessed-portion in the casing and a cylindrical cross member secured to its lower end positioned adjacent to a rail of a railway, a rocking lever pivoted within the casing having a roller at its lower end adapted to be seated within said recessed portion of the plunger,'and means connected to said rocker lever and to an adjustable rod connected to the emergency valve for operating said valve.

4. A device of the character described comprising, in combination with the truck of a car, a fluid-pressure supply pipe, an emergency valve connected to said pipe, a casing mounted upon the truck provided with vertical guide-ways, aslidable plunger mounted within said guide-ways in the casing, said plunger having a recessed portion within thev casing, and a cylindrical cross member secured to its lower end adapted to be held adjacent to a rail of a railway, a rocking lever pivoted within the casing provided with a roller at its lower end resting normally within said recessed portion, and means connected to the upper portion of the lever and to the lower end of an adjustable connecting rod, which latter is connected to the emergency valve for operating the same.

easing mounted upon the truck, a slidable plunger mounted within the casing having a recessed portion therein, and a cylindrical cross member secured at its lower end, a rocking lever pivoted within the casing provided with a roller at its lower end adapted to be seated within said recessed portion, a link within the casing connected to the up per portion of the lever, a right angle lever pivoted within the casing having a short vertical arm connected to said link and a longer horizontal arm extending outside of the casing, and an adjustable rod connected to the outer end of said horizontal arm and to the emergency valve for operating the said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE FRANKLIN VAN METER.

Witnesses:

JNo. F. DREGMAN, HAROLD M. H. KUEHRMANN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

